Portland Arts & Lectures 2026–27: Isabel Wilkerson

Isabel Wilkerson will be at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Thursday, January 21, 2027, for a lecture presented by Literary Arts. It's part of the 2026–27 Portland Arts & Lectures series, which brings a sequence of speakers to the city over the course of the season.

Wilkerson is the main feature of the night, and her appearance is one of several talks Literary Arts has lined up for the year. The rest of the season includes Ayad Akhtar, Ben Rhodes, and Kiran Desai, so if you've been following any of them, this is one of the dates that fills out the full run. It's a lecture, not a reading or a performance, so you'll be hearing her speak rather than watching a play or listening to music.

There's one detail to keep in mind before you plan your night: a subscription to the entire series is required to attend. It's not a standalone ticket you can pick up for just this one date, so if you want to be in the room, you'll need to sign up for the full season. That means you're getting the other talks—Akhtar, Rhodes, and Desai—along with Wilkerson.

The lecture runs from 7:30 to 9:00 PM at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway in downtown Portland. It's a Thursday night, and the whole thing is presented by Literary Arts as part of the 2026–27 Portland Arts & Lectures series.